Duke  University  Libraries 

Mr.  Rogers'  min 
Conf  Pam  #286 

DTTDE33E1T 


HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES,  Feb.  15, 1865.— Order- 
ed to  be  printed. 

MR.  ROGERS'  MINORITY  REPORT. 

Resolved^  As  the  sense  of  this  House,  that  if  pi'oper  and  effi- 
cient means  be  resorted  to,  to  bring  back  to  the  army  absentees 
and  deserters,  and  the  exemption  laws  be  so  modified  as  to 
place  in  the  miUtary  service  the  many  thousands  of  able  bodied 
young  men,  exempt  under  existing  laws,  but  whose  places  at 
home  may  be  supplied  by  those  exempt  from  physical  causes 
or  from  age,  there  is  nothing  in  the  present  aspect  of  our  mili- 
tary affairs  to  justif\'  the  hazardous  experiment  of  placing  slaves 
in  our  armies  as  soldiers, 

Resolved  2d.  That  as  a  dernier  resort,  should  it  become  ap- 
parent that  the  material  for  soldiers  of  our  white  population 
has  iDcen  exhausted,  and  our  armies  inadequate  to  meet  and 
repel  the  enemy,  we  will  not  hesitate  to  resort  to  the  use  of 
slaves  in  our  armies,  in  any  capacity  in  which  they  may  be 
made  serviceable. 

Resolved  Sd.  That  the  doctrine  of  emancipation  as  a  reward 
for  the  services  of  slaves  employed  in  the  army,  is  antagonis- 
tic to  the  spint  of  our  institutions,  and  could  effect  no  perma- 
nent good,  but  would  inevitably  entail  upon  the  country  great 
present  and  greater  future  evil. 


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